The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1887-07-03
DEATH In A BROADWAY FIRE
CONFEDERATION OF FIREWORKS IN
THE DRY GOODS DISTRICT.


Two or Keary's Clerks Burned Alive and
Another Missing Fireusen In Peril-sev-
eral Hurt-A Second Bresdwsy. Fire
Starts Just Outside the Ltnes-A Third In
the Evenise Above Hsssten street Does
$780, 900 DsnaEe-A Fireman Badly Gut
The big Fourth of July fireworks confagra-
ton came carly this season. and was remark
able for being In Broadway. In the heart Of the
dry goods district, distressing in It's accom-
paniment Of loss OF life, and appalling in the
persistency and flerceness with which 1t threat
ened to spread to tho valuable surrounding
property.
The fire broke out shortly after 8 o'clock yes
terday afternoon In the basement OF P. ].
Keary q Brothers toy house. 343 Broadway
broke out literally with a conclusion that
smashed out the windows Of the store and up
heayed fragments OF the light work OF tho vault
covers over the. sidewalk. Open flre-alarm
boxes are very plenty just In this district. and
three Of them were opened and three alarms
sent in almost simultaneously.
The persons in the building had moments
warning before the breaking out Of the fire or
the ringing OF the alarms. The first rafting
fueillade Of detonations, either Of rockets or OF
firecrackers. in the basement under the side
walk gave tho warning and though there were
ing nearly all were enabled to make their way
out but one. The dead bodies OF two have been
found and at least ono more is missing.
The experience OF those who got out was
thrilling, and their escape hairbreadth. The
senior member Of the firm had gone for the
day, and Charles Keary remained with the
employees, who were nearly ready to close up.
Mr.. Keary's impulse on hearing the first ex-
plosion was to run down to the basement to
see 4 he could not pplf out ana throw t AWAY n,y
R Ro Es ANY, any such eiIors would e; liz ran
as 10 h se ls' JoRn p %son @
ed with him for the basement. followed him
also in his retreat: As they ran they cried out
c ca ks we're able to escape from that door With
as sas they 1s hs
'' Ne hHs %eyier of 1os Eas. Eish.y,nint
light partition half way down from the Broad
way front, was in the midst OF the rush when
sss dr Ss s1e
fusion. and excitement. and her hands were
Office. at the rear Of the store; She got out BY
the Broadway side. not thinking OF the L run
Rs S sRa
s so%s Sne ssa she sSs sSous
She was Hniniured, and even her dress was
M Maggie Manley Of 2s1 West Thirty-seventh
st Ges at dseTss Gaod is
hne asd ssnns sbon Getting f
home. The rafting sounds Of the first explo;
sions we're barely noticed on this floor, but GOOD
looked down the stairway to see what was the
matter What he saw caused him to turn the
ot6SS way. and. setting Miss Maggie he ran to
tas ss and n de1n tie e
n i E Fesp ohhs Sp ae sRsy
%P|sS tssS
hf ss7 s%Rfs Other men came doxn this .hst.
Maggie they escaped at the Leonard street
near nssr the Geonsr street door, and IN the east.
eat place for escape, says that he was very
nearly saGgh and no does not SEQ how the
0. As soon as possible Mr. Ke.ry and Mr. VII:
got n h aSn Psse he
%rh have ESCAPED
a re hs 81
Engine discovered Eils,s body; 1t was found
he second oor and then It was ths 1sI
floor when the FIRE broke out He had started
to T and get out but Tss IN TX
By the flames and shociingly burned,
Gustave Hassler, salesman. was also miss
s sss Sss Sas :sa 81
sSa s The e
death until Assistant Foreman, McEamara Of
bore bis aH% h9Sds
was while the Are was at its fercest tide and
the work OF the fire lighters. most desperate
90 ef 5 81 e sae
ing building. Covered with an insurance patrol
tarpaulin they lay there until the police got
'iG G Sn lived at s. Charlton street. He was
With y HESTER o asd Maberrs Is
and hs oths, 10 the hs
JOIN Bnrss. 70 Whelans undertaking rooms,
% Fs:ss ys sr at Ts sst x s street
JAZZ hf b Ss sc Ts saEass
re thst his bane Doyle
old, a hookkeeper in Keary's store. was mise.
@ Ms s somn s s sen hat e xoS
accident had happened to him. The police
could find no one who had seen Doyle since
The fire threatened TO add to the loss Of life
by the killing OF some Of the gallant firemen.
As 1t Is, one was very severely hurt several
Sg ths heat and smoks Ths Building was
stories on Broadway, brown stone and the /
on Leonard street was . four-story brick. A
stairway afforded pathway for the flames in
the main building and Q hoistwaX gave them
an even better chance IN the L. Thefreworks,
among which the trouble began. were kept in
o tin-lined room In front Of tho base
ment. a room that was almost wholly
sisted OF a miscellaneous assortment OF crack
ers, rockets. and small goods: When they
began to go of. some rockets fell down, and
their fiery contents were discharged through
the passageway into the main room of the
basement, Some Of the balls went all the way
stock is OF toys, and IFS highly eombustible
character made t burn like flash under this
volley OF fire balls, and once started the, FIRE
spread from floor to floor almost ~ rapidly rs
II had swept through the basement, The pop
ping OF small fire 0rackors and the louder re-
ports OF cannon cFackefs and big rockets were
suiaeiently startling. but were nothing In ter
rtfying effect TO two on three sullen, booming
explosions that sounded ut intervals and were
The firemen attacked the flre in front with
Siamese and four-way streams and the big
swivel nozzle on the platform Of the water
tower. On the Leonard street side they car
ried lines In through the windows The
ia hall for n uhtl I'M UIt